Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of Invention
The paint brush case relates to the field of paintbrush containers, specifically to the way in which commercial paint brushes, which have been cleaned of paint and the like, are stored.
2. Description of Prior Art
Most, if not all modern professional-model paintbrushes, are designed to have long, productive life spans, and are purchased at considerable expense. It is logical that painters, and other users of paintbrushes, would want to take full advantage of these design qualities, and get a full return on their investment. Paintbrush manufacturers typically include a paper folder, or a plastic sleeve with the purchase of a brush, as means to maintain its form during shipping and selling. These folders and sleeves are very often not durable enough to withstand the rigors of commercial use, and quickly fall apart. Brushes with no protective cases are easily damaged by pressures that force bristles out of alignment. Crimping or splaying of bristles make fine brushwork extremely difficult, drips more likely, and are virtually impossible to repair. Brushes that are stored in liquid, or are not given opportunity to dry, are subject to rusting of their metal parts and dissolution of their binding glue. Therefore, the question of what to do with a paintbrush between uses, so that it remains in good operational condition, is a very valid one, and has been often addressed by inventors as evidenced in the prior art.
Inventors in the field of paintbrush protection and storage, have proposed numerous devices for covering the ferule and bristles in a more durable individual protective wrapper or case; other examples in the prior art teach various cases and brush boxes for keeping bristles of a plurality of brushes submerged in a solvent; and still others demonstrate devices for storing clean artist""s brushes. To the knowledge of the inventor, there is not a case specifically designed to store and protect a plurality of dry, clean (free of paint and the like) commercial paint brushes in either in the prior art or commercially available.
Known prior art further includes: Albanese, U.S. Pat. No. 1,979,241; Adams, U.S. Pat. No. 2,150,706; Kurath, U.S. Pat. No. 2,479,509; Drinkwater, U.S. Pat. No. 2,278,650; Pichniarczyk U.S. Pat. No. 2,479,509; Crozier U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,405; Sica, U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,967.
Accordingly, the present invention has a range of functionality as yet unseen in combination for the express purpose of storing and preserving paintbrushes. Objects and advantages of my invention are:
(a) to provide a method of storing commercial paint brushes indefinitely so they will retain their forms, and not be damaged in anyway by external forces;
(b) to provide a method of transporting several paint brushes more easily between locations;
(c) to provide a method of organizing paint brushes so they can be easily identified;
(d) to provide a method of storing paint brushes so they can be easily and individually accessed;
(e) to provide a storage environment where clean, wet paintbrushes may be allowed to dry without threat to their form;
(f) to provide a single container for storing commercial paintbrushes of varying dimensions and styles;
(g) to provide a method of storing paint brushes that helps prevent the loss of individual paintbrushes through misplacement;
(h) to provide a means of storing, and protecting paint brushes in a case that is very easy to use;
(i) to provide a means of storing paintbrushes that makes economical use of space;
(j) to provide a means of storing paintbrushes where the mechanism that anchors the brush is straightforward and reliable;
(k) to provide a method of protecting commercial paintbrushes during transport so they will retain their forms and not be damaged in any way.
The above mentioned objects and related objects in accordance with the present invention, are accomplished through a lower tray, connected by hinges to a lid in such a way that when closed a self-contained box is defined. The lower tray is characterized by a series of horizontal pins mounted perpendicularly to supports, and are vertically and horizontally aligned with individual recesses in a bridge that laterally bisects the lower tray adjacent to the pins. The lower tray is divided longitudinally ahead of the lateral divider, into protective compartments to contain bristles and the ferule of paintbrushes. The lid is likewise bisected by a nearly congruent lateral press, in which syncline embrasures are aligned in such a way that when the lid is in the closed position, the embrasures form alternating apertures and seals with the recesses of the lateral bridge of the tray. Bumpers near the pins and on the longitudinal dividers vertically align the brushes and keep them in place. Further advantages of this invention, both to its construction and mode of operation will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.